[Kenneth's Pov]
Kenneth walked casually, his bare feet stirring fine dust from the cracked pavement.
He stopped. "Hm?"
Near a ruined warehouse where he felt faint but distinct mana. And five figures stood waiting, all clad in the silver-and-black uniforms of high-ranking Executioners.
Kenneth looked them over. "You don't look like Candidates." he observed, scratching the side of his neck. His eyes settled on their matching gear. "And what's with the ridiculous uniform?"
The Executioners ignored the provocation. The man leading the group, took a step forward.
"You need to come with us." the leader stated.
Kenneth's lips curved just slightly. "Oh? And at whose order?"
"Instructor Alaric of Brenford."
"Aren't we all from this city?" Kenneth chuckled, pointing a casual finger at the leader. "But obviously, not you though... you got a foreign accent."
He turned away, dismissing them instantly. "Tell your teacher I don't like his name, so I'll pass on his invitation as well."
He barely took a step before a massive, imposing Executioner, easily seven feet tall, appeared directly beside him. The brute's speed defied his bulk.
"This wasn't a request." the giant rumbled, his hand clamping down heavily onto Kenneth's shoulder.
Kenneth slowly looked down at it, then up at the brute's face. His bored expression instantly changing into a fleeting glint of annoyance. He snatched the giant's hand with a grip so sudden and immense the Executioner's eyes widened.
"You're just another dumb brute." Kenneth muttered, before yanking the Executioner forward and slamming a catastrophic punch into his gut.
The brute's eyes rolled white, as blood erupted from his mouth. Kenneth maintained his grip on the hand, keeping him upright. He spun, facing the other Executioners who had surged forward.
Kenneth's lips pulled into a wide grin, as he let the body drop. And he shot forward, moving too fast for the eye to track. The first man was met with a devastating barefooted kick to the chest, snapping bones and sending the Executioner flying backward, crashing into a car.
The second Executioner flash-stepped forward, aiming a katana slash at Kenneth's head. But Kenneth caught the blade with his left hand and with a casual twist of his wrist, the katana snapped in half. And then he went low and drove a fist into the man's solar plexus, knocking the air from his lungs.
Suddenly, shadowy arms erupted from the concrete, gripping Kenneth's ankles and restraining his movements. The caster, kept her distance, mana pouring from her palms.
"Grave Reach!" she screamed.
A third Executioner with a gigantic war hammer, dropped from above and swung the heavy weapon down with an immense, crashing force.
Kenneth used both of his free hands to block the impact over his head.
THOOM!
The ground beneath his feet cratered violently and dust exploded outward but Kenneth hadn't moved an inch.
The Hammer Executioner, surprised by the lack of effect, leaped back only to flash-step again and deliver crushing swings. Kenneth met each blow, blocking and parrying with blurring speed.
He found a momentary opening and delivered a brutal uppercut to the hammer itself, sending the Executioner staggering backward, off balance.
A fourth Executioner, seizing the moment Kenneth was distracted, moved to stab him in the back. But before the blade could even touch him, Kenneth whipped his body around breaking from the shadowy grip, instantly and delivering a crushing back-kick directly to the man's face, sending him tumbling away unconscious.
The female caster's eyes widened, her mind racing. [He could've broken free the moment he was caught… but he waited.]
Kenneth vanished, reappearing in front of the hammer wielder, his fist already raised to knock him out. Suddenly, a hiss of energy arrows rained down from above, forcing him to jump back and execute several defensive backflips.
He landed lightly, his hands hanging lazily at his sides, his mana started flared a little. [Two archers on opposite rooftops? I have to handle nuisances first.]
The female caster, panicked and yelled, "What is he doing?!"
Kenneth ignored her. He drove his bare foot into a manhole cover and the metal plate shot upward. He didn't seem to touch it, yet the moment it reached head-height, it launched with terrifying force toward the the archer on the left rooftop.
The impact was catastrophic. The entire section of the rooftop exploded. Rubble and a spray of blood rained down.
Kenneth exhaled.
While the Executioners were frozen in shock, Kenneth shot forward. And he jumped to the left wall, kicked off it and soared toward the second archer's rooftop.
He landed on in a crouch, in front of the second archer.
The man didn't have time to scream before Kenneth seized him by the throat before. Kenneth squeezed until the man's eyes bulged. "Nothing pisses me off now like people getting in the way of my killing." he spat.
He slammed the archer into the rooftop. The entire roof caved in, both of them crashing into the next floor below in a thunder of rubble. The lifeless body hit first. Kenneth dropped beside it, brushing dust off his shoulder.
It was at that moment that the atmosphere felt different. A large portal, swirling with golden mana tore open outside.
Alaric stepped out, draped in his instructor's robes and Lyra followed, her face grim.
Kenneth felt their presence and instantly sprang back down, landing in the centre of the street with a concussive force that cratered the ground beneath his feet.
He rose slowly and a demonic smile spreading across his face, adopting the relaxed stance of a man ready to fight.
The two remaining Executioners immediately stumbled back a few steps.
"You must be Alaric, the teacher." Kenneth said.
"I am Instructor Alaric." he corrected, emphasizing the title.
"Instructor or teacher... either way, I still don't like your name." Kenneth replied, his eyes sweeping over the robes. "And what is up with you people? First, your students wear that lame uniform and then you wear a robe like you're some kind of God."
Alaric's lips curled into a smirk. "We Instructors are close to Gods. We have the power to do anything. And that means I can also ensure that you become one of the Thrine of my city if you agree and eliminate the Anomaly for me."
"There's an Anomaly?" Kenneth asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes." Alaric said. "A boy named Ravyn."
Kenneth looked down, a genuinedelighted spark lighting his eyes. [So the boy is an Anomaly? I always felt there was something special about him. And now I want to fight him so badly.]
Alaric disturbed his thoughts. "Well? Do we have a deal?"
Kenneth raised his head slowly, immediately falling back into boredom. "For someone close to a God, you sure sound desperate."
Alaric's face flushed scarlet. "What did you just say to me?"
Kenneth's voice turned flat. "In simple terms, I won't do your bidding, robe-man."
The Hammer Executioner, stepped forward. "You filth! Talk to the Instructor with..."
Kenneth vanished and reappeared instantly in front of the Executioner, he plunged his hand directly into the man's chest. Blood splattered across the cracked ground. And the hammer dropped down.
The Instructors jumped back, eyes wide.
[I didn't even see him move.] Alaric thought, sweat breaking out on his brow.
Kenneth titled his head slowly, his eyes blazing now.
He blurred.
His fist collided with Alaric's forearm, the shockwave erupted outward, cratering the entire street. Then another blow, then another. Kenneth followed with a wave of lightning-fast fists.
Alaric blocked the first few with his bare arms, then started countering, their strikes meeting with thunderous impact. The ground cracked around them as buildings shook under the shockwaves.
Alaric went low and swung a devastating fist. But Kenneth crossed his arms to block it, mid impact he perform a backflip, opening a crucial distance between them.
"That's the second time I've genuinely blocked a blow." Kenneth said, smiling."I'm impressed, Teach."
Alaric looked at him and shouted. "Now!"
Suddenly, the shadow hands burst upward again, snaring Kenneth's legs, arms and even his torso. They clamped down, forcing his body to still.
"What the hell are you doing, Alaric?!" Lyra asked, her eyes widening.
"If he won't help me, he might as well die!" Alaric shouted back. A staff formed in his hand and he raised it. A colossal-sized bolder appeared above Kenneth, casting a terrifying shadow over the district. Alaric thrust the staff down, launching the massive projectile.
The rock plummeted and crashed onto Kenneth with the force of a small mountain, plunging deep into the earth and destroying everything nearby.
Lyra stepped back, looking at Alaric with disgust. "You seriously used your Divine Relic against a human, and on top of it all, a Candidate? How much more immature can you be, Alaric?!"
Before Alaric could answer, a loud and violent cracking sound made them look at the rock. And the colossal rock shattered.
Kenneth was standing there, bleeding from his head and his face smeared with blood. His eyes were shining with a maniacal and joyful intensity.
"Damn, Teach. You really got me there." Kenneth admitted, wiping the blood dripping close his eye. "I even had to use my Arc Seal." His smile returned, more terrifying than before. "But I'm good now, so let's go again!"
Alaric, wanted to continue the fight but Lyra grabbed his arm, pulling him back with immense strength. "No! We're leaving!"
She channeled her mana, forcing a large portal to tear open instantly. She shoved Alaric through it.
Kenneth watched them go, the portal collapsing behind them. He sighed, the intense focus leaving him. And dropped to one knee.
"That's a shame." he muttered. "They left me with..." He turned, looking for the female caster, but she was gone too.
"...They left me all alone. How sad." Kenneth rose slowly and started walking away as the distant sound of sirens approached.